Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Our Sweet Six: An Interview with Charity Bradford, Author of THE MAGIC WAKES

Today, we've teamed up with Charity Bradford, author of the recently released THE MAGIC WAKES.  She's also one of the critique mavens behind Unicorn Bell.  Charity was willing to sit down with us and discuss her release (which started life as YA before her characters aged a bit), and her plans for an upcoming YA fantasy novel.  

But first, here's a peak at THE MAGIC WAKES: 

    Scientist Talia Zaryn has always had dreams of an alien invasion and her own death. She’s kept them a secret, hoping they were nothing more than childish nightmares. But when the face in the mirror matches that of her dreams, she knows death is imminent. If she can prove life exists beyond her planet, perhaps people will prepare to fight.
    Her work at the Space Exploration Foundation leaves no time for personal relationships, but Major Landry Sutton isn’t looking for a friend. He’s looking for a traitor. His ability to sense emotions convinces him Talia is that traitor until a touch sizzles between them. In an instant their minds are connected and they can communicate telepathically. Just as the two begin to trust each other, the invading force arrives.
    Talia and Landry must uncover the secrets of Sendek’s past if they hope to defeat these terrifying creatures. Talia  is the key–if she can learn to trust the magic coursing through her veins.


Wowza!  What an action-packed read.  You know you want to check it out.  Now, are you ready to learn a little bit about Charity and her magical stories?  Instead of telling you more about THE MAGIC WAKES, she wanted to share a sneak peak of one of her works in progress.  Sound like something you'd like the hear?

Thought so.  Without further ado...
THE VALENTINE'S SWEET SIX 

1) Charity, tell us about your book!
I've had this YA Fantasy idea for about 2 years, but it's proving harder to write than I thought. Here's what I envision for the back jacket blurb:

Everything you’ve ever heard about faeries is a lie.
Lies they told to keep humans from learning the truth.
What is the truth?
They live among us, sentenced to watch over and nurture their greatest mistake.
Us.
Ryanne Killian doesn’t believe in faerie tales, and yet all the eyes of the Fae watch her–hoping she will be the one to set them free.
The original plot is still there and almost all written. However an underlying conflict arose that surprised me. The thing is, that conflict could become the main one and I want to do it justice. Ryanne has had her dreams crushed by an experience that left her scarred physically and emotionally. She has to come to terms with that event and accept that she is still worthy of a prince's love. Then she can truly give her heart to Caedmon and free his people from a centuries old curse. 


2) What scene in your book do you LOVE the most?

This was so hard! I have many favorites, but right now the ending is my favorite. There is still lots to write, but the ending is there and it's got all the payoff for me to work towards. 


This is the first time that I wrote the ending first. I'm hoping it will help things progress easier as I finish the writing. 


My second favorite scene is when Caedmon and Ryanne are on a hot air balloon ride over Napa Valley. They are talking about true love and he points out that Ry's sister has that for her. I love a good romance, but family love is often overlooked. It's so important though!


3) If you had to pick a character you LOVE (and not your own!), who would you pick and why?
Wanda from Stephanie Meyer's The Host. I've read this book over and over again. I love how gentle and loving she is in spite of the circumstances she's in. She's the perfect vehicle for discovering the best and the worst of humanity and loving it anyway. I cry EVERY time she makes Doc promise not to send her away. She's found her home but she refuses to "be a parasite" any longer because of the love she's found.

  
4) What's the craziest/most memorable valentine you've ever received?
My senior year in high school I received my first rose delivered to the school from someone other than my parents. I married that boy and have never regretted it. Three years after that Valentine's, he convinced my brother to get that dried rose for him. He then placed it in a jade box and put my engagement ring in with it. Now that's romantic!


5) If you were a Brach's Heart, what phrase would be written on you?
Hold Me

6) The all-important choice: flowers or candy?
It used to be candy, but as I get rounder I'm moving toward flowers. However, I prefer  wildflowers instead of roses.
Charity, you rock!  Sounds like you've got magic coursing through your veins...or at least your stories! Thanks for sitting down with us today, and congrats on your release!
Pop on over to Charity's blog to see what else she's up to.

Wildflowers for everyone!
 

15 comments:

  1. I can't wait to read this new idea! Thanks so much for stopping by today!! *presents a digital basket of wildflowers* :)

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    1. Thanks for interviewing me Jen!

      I can't wait to see the final story either. Mostly I just pray I can handle the subject matter in a way that will ultimately be uplifting and hope inspiring for anyone who has been abused like Ryanne. I want them to see their beauty and worth and learn how to follow their heart again.

      It's going to take some time to get it right, but it's worth the effort.

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  2. Delivering one rose is the secret? Wish I'd known that sooner!
    Writing the ending first. Maybe I'll try that sometime.

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    1. Well, it worked in my case. :)

      So, does this mean you might consider writing something else now that CassaStorm is finished? *fingers crossed*

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  3. GIVE ME THAT WIP! *grabby hands* YOU MUST FINISH IT!! What a delicious plot line!!

    Great interview, girls. Charity, thanks for swinging by the blog. Best of luck w/The Magic Wakes (ooh, and great character names, BTW)

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    1. Bethany, you are so sweet! I feel this drive to finish it. My goal is to finish my sequel draft (1/2 way there!) and then finish this one (also 1/2 way done at the moment). By the time summer starts both should be finished and ready for my alpha readers.

      With any amount of luck I hope to query this YA this fall.

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  4. Both of your books sound great! (And I agree, awesome character names!) I also agree, family love gets overlooked all the time, but a family is what comes from true love, and it is SO important.

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    1. Thanks Sara! I so agree with you about the family love. Society sure loves their romantic love though! :)

      Thanks Sara and Bethany on the names. I've changed them many times looking for just the right fit. I've been told Ryanne wasn't feminine enough, but I love it!

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  5. I love the rose story! How incredibly sweet! Thanks for sharing about your books (which sound awesome) on the blog!

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  6. Charity, thanks so much for stopping by the Valentines! I love that you wrote the ending first--what a great way to propel yourself through the plot, to reach the ending you'd already envisioned! Your books sound great!

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  7. @Jaye I thought so too!

    @Anne thank you guys for having me. This is the first time I've ever written the ending first and I have to say I like how it helps me stay focused. Perhaps revising won't take as long because of it. :)

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  8. Charity,

    Thanks for hanging out with us!! I'm with the other Valentines....your books sound AMAZING.:) I can't wait to read THE MAGIC WAKES!

    *adds to Jen's basket of wildflowers* :)

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    1. Thanks Lynne! Hope you enjoy it.

      You guys have such a fun blog here. I hope more people find it. I'm going to slip it into one of my posts next week on Unicorn Bell. :) It's nice to see a group of authors having fun and talking about other authors.

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  9. Charity, you are absolutely adorable! I'm totally swooning over your valentine/rose story.

    Your books sound so intriguing- can't wait to get my hands on them!

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  10. Hey all! Just letting you know that Fade Into Me is now complete. I'm actually running a kickstarter project to fund an editor and typesetter. If you'd like to check it out, here's the link:
    https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1452015847/fade-into-me-an-urban-fantasy-novel

    The book trailer is at the end of my talking. Just fast forward to that. ;)

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